Sunday, October 5, 2014

Good Morning Jessicca

Letter to my DaughterSunday, 5 October

The intricacies of a simple fried egg

Good Morning
Jessicca…

Artists need
constantly to remind themselves of the nooks and crannies of everyday
life. We easily overlook intriguing
details and, instead, too frequently turn life’s makings into items consisting simply
of name and a corresponding thumbnail description. We quickly reach a certain point as we grow
where familiar surroundings no longer warrant anything more than the most
cursory investigation. We’re preoccupied
with responsibilities that come with maturity.
How odd for us to stare at our food long enough to appreciate its
fascinating minutia. Imagine examining
each bite before placing it in your mouth and then pausing to consider the
complexities of its flavor. This is not
a behavior recommended for public observation.
People may conclude you are either abusing a psychoactive drug or you have
a debilitating neurosis. An unrestrained
fascination with your food will earn you a card table in a lonely room so that
your peculiar amusement will not disturb the other dinner guests.

Of course
food is but of trifle interest when compared with the captivating power people
have over us. We are all lifelong
students of the myriad nuances of human behavior. What theater the human face provides. I’m guessing the eyes are people’s foremost
means for determining the thoughts being processed behind another’s gaze. Of particular fascination for me is someone’s
unfocused stare. Their sight is turned
inward, riding a train of thought, and nearly oblivious to what is going on
about them. While the eyelids remain
open the eyes themselves are placed in ‘park’, careful not to deliver
information that would distract the mind’s own self-absorption.

Second only
to the eyes has to be the mouth. So
what’s with the lips? We don’t really
need a colored boundary around the mouth for eating. It’s only natural to conclude this coloration
emphasizes the mouth’s disposition. Am I
smiling? Is my mouth downturned? One can be a considerable distance from another’s
face and still tell the nature of the approaching greeting, especially when the
lips are parted to reveal the white of teeth.
Teeth make one’s smile more expansive or a downturned mouth more
threatening. Women augment their mouth’s
display by adding dramatic color. Men
can approximate the effect by growing a moustache. Of course, a bushy moustache obscures the
mouth. What are we communicating here?

Then there
is the kiss. A gentle peck on the cheek
feels endearing but lips pressed against lips can be overwhelming - passionate,
erotic. This is not automatic. Familiarity tends to neutralize this
impact. The parting kiss or one of greeting
within a relationship may mean anything from an unstated “I love you” to a
polite gesture to a mere absentminded ritual.
The sudden absence of this kiss is like firing a warning flare overhead. Beware.
Something is amiss.

Such
intensity induced by the mouth makes it a clear scene-stealer. Still, the eyes compete with their special
‘come heather’ look. One secret to this
attraction is the widening of one’s pupils at the very sight of you. The natural follow-up to this invitation
would be a passionate, lingering kiss.

The stars of
our ensemble clearly are the eyes and mouth but they can’t make it alone. The lines on our forehead play a solid
supporting role – one that only increases with age. The smooth appearance of youth is slowly
supplanted by lines recording our most characteristic expressions. We no longer are a blank slate. We exhibit a readymade map conveying our
disposition of kindness or humor or something maybe dark, troubling. A smile on a face frozen with evil intent
displays not so much a friendly welcome but more the lust of one about to
devour a meal.

Albert Finney prepares for 'King Lear' in The Dresser

Eyebrows are
like the animated hands of the storyteller.
They vigorously amplify the intended meaning behind the furrows of one’s
forehead. The stage actor’s skillful use
of makeup projects his facial narrative to those without the good fortune of
having front row seats. The clown’s
makeup is an artistic mask depicting his character’s one basic outlook on
life. He relies on his body language to
give it variation.

It takes
experience, practice and a conscious effort to disguise our true emotions from
other probing eyes. Maturity requires of
us this talent in order to smooth out everyday agitations and avoid dangerous
pitfalls. Good neighbors don’t often
exchange angry glares when confronted with mishaps and misunderstandings. Committed couples generally resist providing
facial cues that invite romance with an attractive coworker. We learn there are proscribed times for
drawing back the curtain to reveal our current feeling in its unadulterated
full force. Unless swept up by overwhelming
emotion we require both trust and love to give into the unguarded, naked face… wishing
your child ‘Happy Birthday’; declaring ‘I love you’; ‘good morning’ to an aging
parent enduring their steady decline. Our
complex lives make moments of genuine expression without the hedge of
circumspection truly rare. Being adult
is a bit claustrophobic. I desire the
expanse of an open range where human contact is uncommon enough to most always
be a welcome event. Acting is
unnecessary. There is only heartfelt
good will.